Arch of Triumph (1948 film)

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This article is about the 1948 film. For other uses, see Arch of Triumph.

Arch of Triumph
Original Spanish poster for Arch of Triumph
Directed by	Lewis Milestone
Produced by	David Lewis
Written by	Erich Maria Remarque (novel) Lewis Milestone Harry Brown Irwin Shaw (uncredited)
Starring	Ingrid Bergman Charles Boyer Charles Laughton
Music by	Louis Gruenberg
Cinematography	Russell Metty
Editing by	Duncan Mansfield
Distributed by	United Artists
Release date(s)	17 February, 1948
Running time	120 minutes 133 min (restored version)
Country	USA
Language	English, German
Budget	USD 5,000,000
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Arch of Triumph is a 1948 US war romance film made by Enterprise Productions and distributed by United Artists. The film was directed by Lewis Milestone and adapted from the 1945 Erich Maria Remarque novel Arch of Triumph

The film stars Ingrid Bergman, Charles Boyer and Charles Laughton with Louis Calhern.

1 Background and production
2 Plot summary
3 Cast
4 See also
5 External link

[edit] Background and production

The film's name is a reference to the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, where the film is set. The rough cut of the film was four hours long, and in reducing it to two hours several actors were cut. Irwin Shaw spent five months writing the screenplay, but then quit when Lewis Milestone wanted him to add a love story. Milestone then rewrote the script, which was then used for the film. Ingrid Bergman's salary for the part was $175,000 + 25% of net profits.

The MPAA's head of the Production Code Administration at the time, Joseph Breen, made the film's studio tone down the violence in the script. The scene where Ravic kills Haake also included him stuffing Haake in the car's trunk, stripping him naked, burying him and burning his clothes, was cut from the film. Breen also objected to the murder going unpunished, but relented.

The film was remade as a made-for-television film, Arch of Triumph, in 1985 with Anthony Hopkins as Dr. Ravic.

[edit] Plot summary

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

Pre-World War II Paris is crowded with illegal refugees, trying to evade deportation. One of them is Dr. Ravic (Charles Boyer), who under a false name practices medicine illegally, helping other refugees. He saves Joan Madou (Ingrid Bergman) from committing suicide after the sudden death of her lover. They become involved, but he is deported and she becomes the mistress of a wealthy man, Alex (Stephen Bekassy). All this time Ravic seeks revenge against the Nazi officer Haake (Charles Laughton), with war eventually declared between France and Germany.